Interference in Environmental Studies and Sciences: Understanding how Identity Factors Influence Experienced Interference
Abstract
The ability for all environmental researchers to effectively practice and communicate their research is important because it can influence policy and decision-makers. However, my research found that interference in environmental studies and sciences is happening, and a researcher’s identity was reported to influence the rates of experienced interference. For example, 53% of respondents indicated that they were constrained by their concerns about how they may be represented by media, and women-identifying respondents reported a statistically significant higher rate; and 24% of respondents indicated that they were constrained by senior management, and racial and visible minority respondents reported a statistically significant higher rate. My research also found that many of the marginalized groups in the survey were underrepresented compared to Canadian demographics. This is the first known study that compares the experiences of interference in environmental studies and science across identity groups.